That might be right. Scouring the web, BU’s Kasey Ricard also looks like she belongs in the discussion.
Gotta disagree with you here. Barnhill got bombed several times, particularly in her later years when they caught up with her speed, which was pretty much all she had. Georgia took her to the woodshed with back-to-back-to back. Bama destroyed her in the WCWS. She faced the same problem trying it in the pros and didn't last very long. At least here. I know she plays in Japan so it might be somewhat better. I don't know enough about Japan league ball to comment. This isn't intended to be a slam against Kelly. She did a hell of a lot for us and I don't forget that. This is the best rotation we have had in years. Keagan is a stud. And she won't have to carry the load by herself. Watch her body. Each year she has developed. I can tell you what she looked like in 14U and it isn't close to what she looks like now. Red just might turn out even better than Keagan. Time will tell. Ava should be a solid third with plenty of innings. This team is stacked in the circle, on defense and at the plate. We need another Sarah Longley to pop up to help backup Jocey. I am devastated with Ariel apparently leaving. That is a huge loss.
Sure looks like. Not confirmed by her or anyone at this point but the birdies are going into overtime.
Barnhill dealt with a stress fracture that didn't get to heal in her shin and pitching coach chnages in her last 2 years and had hardly any help her senior year. Also once they started with the IP calls that really screwed with her. If you remember the last year with Ocasio in 2018 barnhill was absolutely on fire again in the WCWS until the illegal pitch calls and the botched call at home plate in that UCLA game. Without that hapoening... we'd probably one the whole thing the way we were playing. Saying pretty much all she had was speed is pretty disrespectful. She had a great rise and screw. That 2 seam she developed with the little bit of drop to it was also deadly at times.
For her just to not be listed on the roster and nobody reporting officially that she's in the portal makes me wonder if there's more to it. Hope everything is okay in the grand scheme of things.
We need another Sarah Longley to pop up to help backup Jocey. Lord, help us, no. I love Sarah, and she did her best. We have moved to a new era of Gator players.
I'm gonna put a pin in this post. Our team ERA with Gourley/Barnhill/Ocossio was 0.81 in 2017 and 0.93 in 2018. If this year's pitching is anywhere near that, I will buy everyone at KSP a hot dog and a Coke. ....and gladly so because with our offense and defense, it would probably mean a Natty.
Ahh ... those were the days! But to put those numbers into perspective, here are the last 10 ten season ERAs (with the primary staff, and team Batting average): 2014 (Rogers, Haeger, Gourley) ERA - 2.52, BA - .313 2015 (Haeger, Ocasio, Gourley) ERA - 2.10, BA - .303 2016 (Ocasio, Gourley, Barnhill) ERA - 0.93, BA - .312 2017 (Barnhill, Gourley, Ocasio) ERA - 0.81, BA - .299 2018 (Barnhill, Ocasio) ERA - 1.43, BA - .284 2019 (Barnhill, Lugo, Hightower) ERA - 1.87, BA - .264 2020 (Lugo, Trlicek, Hightower) ERA - 1.89, BA - .317 2021 (Hightower, Lugo, Chronister ERA - 1.84, BA - .277 2022 (Hightower, Delbrey, Lugo ERA - 2.39, BA - .314 2023 (Hightower, Trilcek, Delbrey) ERA - 3.69, BA - .315 2024 (Rothrock, Brown) ERA - 2.93, BA - .330 I was surprised by the championship teams' ERAs. I thought they were better. But it goes to show you don't need extremely low ERAs to win a Natty - if you have the bats. Certainly the 2 years following were the high point of our pitching prowess. But the upset by UGA thru the WCWS out the window in 2016, but in 2017 we made a run at OU. Both our ERAs and BAs were mediocre from 2018 thru 2021, except the for the shortened 2020 season. If you pair those ERAs with the weak offense we had back then - You get what we had - mild success. Given our unimpressive ERA from last year, I expect it to vastly improve this coming season. With a staff of Rothrock, Brown, Red, and soon Stanton I do expect to see a staff ERA improve significantly in the next couple of years - maybe not sub 1.00, but who knows?. And with our offense on the uptick, I am very optimistic.
Liv Miller pitched two perfect games last season and is the only lefty on the staff. Suspect she’ll get some reps as well.
With respect to Ariel (AK47), she may not be on the roster, however in her social media, she still claims to be a Gator. She is an engineering major and there might be something going on there. She may be going to the sophomore slump in engineering. I have a UF BSME degree and my worst grades were in my sophomore year. So let’s hang in there with her and support her; she may be making some lifetime decisions right now.
Liv was a top twenty recruit in the 2023 recruiting class. She first committed to Ole Miss before changing her mind and coming to her dream school, the University of Florida. When she got here, Chelsey Dobbins changed her delivery and I think she struggled with that last year. She has one of the best change ups on the team along with a rise ball. Her change up against South Carolina last year came in it 45 to 47 mph. She made the Carolina batter looks silly on her change up, And she did have those two perfect games against lower competition last year. This year we have an All American type pitching coach in Coach Stephanie Prothro. I predict that Coach Stephanie will bring out the best in Liv and we will see a vastly improved pitcher.
I personally think there's more to it. She is all gator and all her socials still say that. Whether it's and academic thing or personal thing i don't think we can give up on her just yet. I didn't think she would be leaving for playing time because she will be playing... maybe not start every game at 3b playing... but she would for sure rotate in and catch this year more also with Wilkie gone.
I believe I can assure you it is not academics. She is an engineering student and I believe has done very well.
